Semiconductor substrate and flat panel display device processing is generally performed within an evacuated process chamber. Evacuation systems for the process chamber typically include a number of vacuum pumps and, depending on the nature of the process gases, a number of abatement tools. It is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,840 to use parameters such of the gas load on a variable speed vacuum pump to control the speed of the pump, and thereby reduce power consumption.
It is an aim of at least the preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved method of controlling operation of a processing system.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of controlling operation of a processing system, for example, a semiconductor processing system, comprising a process tool and an evacuation system for a chamber of the process tool, the method comprising monitoring signals transmitted from the process tool, utilising information contained within the monitored signals to generate a signal containing information for the process tool regarding an operating characteristic or status of a component of the evacuation system, and transmitting the generated signal.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a computer readable medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for controlling a processing system comprising a process tool and an evacuation system for the process tool, the operation comprising monitoring signals transmitted from the process tool, utilising information contained within the monitored signals to generate a signal containing information for the process tool regarding an operating characteristic or status of a component of the evacuation system, and transmitting the generated signal.
The computer program can be contained on a variety of signal-bearing media, for example a read-only memory device or a floppy disk, and may be conveyed to a computer by a communications medium, such as through a computer or telephone network, including wireless communications.
The present invention further provides an evacuation system for a processing system comprising a process tool, wherein at least one of the components of the evacuation system, for example, a vacuum pump and/or an abatement tool, comprises means for monitoring signals transmitted from the process tool, means for utilising information contained within the monitored signals to generate a signal containing information for the process tool regarding an operating characteristic or status of that component, and means for transmitting the generated signal.